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Saturday, May 30, 2009

50 Extraordinary Years, 50 Fantastic Artists, 50 Amazing Tracks from The Cavern To this day The Cavern remains The Most Famous Club In The World. From it's birth in 1957 as a Jazz club inspired by the Parisienne clubs on the West Bank, to it's heyday as the spiritual home of The Beatles, to it's rocky path through the 70's and 80's encountering closure and re-opening, to it's resurgence as the essential venue for new and up and coming bands to play in Liverpool, The Cavern holds a special place in the hearts of music lovers the world over. The unrivalled status of the club is matched by the unrivalled tracklist of bands that have played the club that is included on the fantastic 3 CD collection. For the first time on one album The Beatles and The Rolling Stones are together and they are joined by other notable rock royalty in Queen, The Who, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Chuck Berry, Rod Stewart and many more. Artists that defined the Cavern at it's peak such as The Kinks, The Animals, The Hollies, Gerry & The Pace Makers, Hermans Hermits, and The Yardbirds are all included in the set. Bringing the Cavern right up to date and highlighting how important the venue remains also included are tracks by Arctic Monkeys (previously unheard live version of track The View From The Afternoon) Travis, KT Tunstall, The Coral and Embrace.(http://www.amazon.com/)

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Cavern 50th Anniversary CD Box Set

Special offer available only to customers ordering directly from the Cavern Club. If you order your 50th anniversary CD box set from us we will send a replica Cavern Membership card and a ticket from the launch of the CD held at the Cavern Club in August 2007 completely free of charge!This 3 CD set has 50 tracks from artists who have played at the Cavern during its 50 year history. Includes tracks from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, The Who, Oasis and many more.( http://www.cavernclub.org)****

Message biographyOriginally born as a German-British band, the music of MESSAGE oscillates between a substantial heavy rock and a nice folk rock articulated around a range of keyboards arrangements. Their first album was recorded under the direction of the famous musical engineer Dieter Dierks. The result sounds remarkably as British progressive rock of the moment. Very melodic, with a ravishing and an accomplished lyrical sense of composition. Their following album is as great as the previous one, delivering impressive, extended, mainly instrumental heavy/ space rock tracks which can be compared (in some parts) to NEKTAR's first effort. Their two last albums released in 1975/76 were directed to more mainstream, conventional and easy listening heavy rock music. Very accessible records, sometimes including jazzy ingredients, the band abandoned their complex, sophisticated and original progressive rock. In search of a commercial response, they finally failed to convince the public.: : : Philippe Blache : : :******

Hallelujah were in fact an Anglo-German duo, split off from Doldinger's Motherhood. They absconded to England to make their album, and sought the aid of much travelled top session-musicians Rick Kemp and Pete Wood. Incidentally, Pete Wood had somewhat of a global career in subsequent years with Al Stewart ('Year Of The Cat'). And good, old Rick Kemp had heads turning, at least in the British Isles with his group, "Steeleye Span". But, strangely the album only gained release in Germany!Adventurous and creative, though quite wordy in the song department, Hallelujah's influences were wide: a touch of the Beatles' "A Day In A Life", a hint of Wonderland, and lots of Pink Floyd folky Roger Waters influence -- an accessible blend of progressive and psychedelic styles.

In 1964, Phil Warren of Prestige Promotions, opened a club in Little Queen Street, Auckland, to capitalise on Beatlemania. He called the club the Beatle Inn and installed the Merseymen as its resident band.

The Merseymen had the credentials to play the beat music required, as three of its members all hailed from England. Mike Leyton (real name Mike Puddyfoot) and Dave Moan were both from London, and drummer Jett Rink had also only recently arrived in the country. Jett Rink's real name was John Tait and later on he was to use the name Dylan Tait, when he became a television reporter.

Bob Paris had been around the Auckland music scene for several years. His Bob Paris Combo had been the resident band at the Jive Centre in 1958. Jim Newton was originally from Wellington, but had left the group before the end of 1964. He was replaced by Ian McIntyre.

Not long after commencing their residency at the Beatle Inn, they were signed to Zodiac and quickly released an album called "A Visit To The Beatle Inn". .. MORE...******

When his punk band, the Pop Rivets, broke up in 1980, Billy Childish formed a new group with Mickey Hampshire, a Pop Rivets roadie who had been performing in a group called Mickey and the Milkshakes. The two began writing songs together and released their first LP, Talkin' About, in 1981. With Childish on guitar and vocals, Hampshire on guitar and vocals, Bruce Brand on drums, and Russ Wilkins (later replaced by John Agnew) on bass, the Milkshakes sound was a primitive blend of British beat groups, like the early Kinks... Read More...

Friday, May 29, 2009

The Cryan' Shames' debut album was typical of the more thrown-together rock LPs of the era: both sides of their first two singles and a bunch of cover versions. The singles, actually, were pretty good, including their most well-known song, "Sugar & Spice," a cover of a Searchers hit that actually was more memorable and imaginative than the original. Its B-side, "Ben Franklin's Almanac," was a respectable original with shades of the Byrds, the Yardbirds, and California harmonies; the second single, "I Wanna Meet You," was a decent meld of Beatles-Byrds jangle with Beach Boys harmonies; and its flip, "We Could Be Happy," was an OK soft rock number. Throw in the sole original composition not from a single, "July" (one of the better 1966 Byrds sound-alikes), and you have half a decent (though not great) period pop/rock album. The problem is, though, that the cover versions that fill out the record — including songs written and/or popularized by the Beatles, the Byrds, and the Animals, along with "Heat Wave" — are neither too creatively done nor even imaginative selections. "Sugar and Spice" and all four of the originals appear on the Legacy compilation Sugar & Spice, which makes this album superfluous if you already have that anthology. The 2002 CD Sundazed reissue is bolstered by six bonus songs: their 1967 single "Mr. Unreliable" (different from the LP version) and its laid-back B-side "Georgia," a cover of the Beatles' "You're Gonna Lose That Girl," and three previously unreleased 1969 tracks that found them going into a mellow folk/country/soft rock direction.

**************The Valentines were an Australian rock 'n' roll band active from 1966-1970, chiefly noted for their lead singers, Bon Scott, who later went on to great success as lead vocalist with AC/DC, and Vince Lovegrove, who subsequently became a successful music journalist and manager of Divinyls.The band was formed in late 1966 with the amalgamation of Perth groups The Spektors and The Winstons. They capitalised on the success of both the former bands, plus the interest created by having two lead singers in Scott and Lovegrove. Inspired by The Rolling Stones, The Beatls, and local stars The Easybeats, they enjoyed considerable local success and released a few singles. MORE :******************01. Peculiar Hole In The Sky [0:02:48.49]02. Love Makes Sweet Music [0:02:19.06]03. To Know You Is To Love You [0:03:02.53]04. I Can't Dance With You [0:02:57.30]05. Sookie Sookie [0:02:19.63]06. Every Day I Have To Cry [0:02:32.72]07. She Said [0:02:50.09]08. I Can Hear The Raindrops [0:01:51.39]09. Why Me? [0:01:48.54]**********************LINK

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Members met at the Sint Joris High School in Eindhoven. When the Beatles were conquering Holland, the Phantoms quickly jumped the bandwagon, playing all the hits the Fab Four made in The Netherlands. In june 1965, the group is invited by major record company Omega to release a single: Jack the ripper, a cover of British artist Screaming Lord Sutch which, incidentally had masterguitarist Ritchie Blackmore in its ranks at the time. The single sells excellent locally, but the acclaim is not nationwide. A couple of months later the band plays their new single, the James Brown cover I’ll go crazy on the tv-program ‘Nieuwe Oogst’ and finally break through. The single is also released in Germany on the Metronome label. Then the band is invited for shows all the time and play together with acts like Adamo and Dave Berry. A couple of more singles follow, of which the self-penned Tormented will prove to be their biggest hit. In 1966 the Lp The Phantoms is released with half covers and half band-compositions. One of the best” Someday I’m somebody is written by famous Dutch rocker and songwriter Peter Koelewijn. Early 1967 most of the members are going to study and is the last single released: After tomorrow, a cover from the unknown London-based British band The Cockneys on the small Action label. In 1969 The Phantoms split up. Singer Martien van Rooy joins temporarily The Charlie Nederpelt Orchestra shortly, but is taking up his study again. In the eighteis and nineties a couple of reunion concerts took place in their hometown Eindhoven. ... More...

Vitamin's Lost Songs: Songs the Beatles Wrote but Never Recorded is a great idea for a disc.Lennon and McCartney recorded their best songs, but they did give away some good Merseybeat stuff at the height of Beatlemania, including "Bad to Me" and "World Without Love." Collecting these songs, along with other lesser-known Beatle original tunes of the era, is a fantastic idea. Too bad Lost Songs is filled with tepid contemporary rerecordings of the songs, thereby negating any worth it may have had...unless you're a Beatles fanatic looking for a new version of these little-heard songs. - by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Dressed in leather, brandishing heavy guitars, and an unabashed fetish for British Invasion pop, the Smithereens were an anomaly in the American college rock scene of the late '80s. Lead singer/songwriter Pat DiNizio stood out not only with his strange beatnik goatee, but also because his catchy hooks were haunting, not punchy, and because his lyrics were morose. As time wore on, the group became more straightforward, turning into an excellent bar band, one that attacked pop songs with the weight of AC/DC. A few hits followed, but the Smithereens seemed hopelessly out of date in the alternative rock explosion of the early '90s, and they quietly faded into a working cult band.Of course, the Smithereens essentially started out as a working band. ...Read More...

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The Smithereens - B-Sides The Beatles (2008)

01 - Thank You Girl

02 - There's A Place

03 - I'll Get You

04 - You Can't Do That

05 - Ask Me Why

06 - Cry For A Shadow

07 - P.S. I Love You

08 - I'm Happy Just To Dance With You

09 - If I Fell

10 - Slow Down

11 - I Don't Want To Spoil The Party

12 - Some Other Guy

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So just how did the Smithereens become a Beatles tribute band? It's no great surprise that they owe a debt of influence to the Fab Four, but instead of absorbing the lessons of their music, lately the Smithereens are content to simply play their songs, generally as close to the original arrangements as they can muster, and B-Sides the Beatles is the second album in two years from the Smithereens that's devoted entirely to Beatles covers. Released in 2007, Meet the Smithereens! was a song-by-song re-creation of the Beatles' first American LP, while 2008's B-Sides the Beatles takes a slightly less derivative approach, featuring a dozen songs that appeared on the flip sides of Beatles hits in the United States. While these songs are a bit less familiar than the stuff on Meet the Smithereens!, most will be immediately recognizable to anyone who likes rock & roll, and as on Meet the Smithereens!, the band plays these songs with skill and enthusiasm but little imagination, following the originals with the crowd-pleasing determination of a true bar band. What most clearly sets these versions apart are the vocals, and while Pat DiNizio's moody style made for an interesting contrast on the Smithereens' first Beatles tribute, he sounds a bit rough here and has a hard time with "There's a Place" and "If I Fell," which demand a higher and clearer register than he has to offer. And though guitarist Jim Babjak's lead vocals on "Some Other Guy" and "Happy Just to Dance with You" aren't bad, he's clearly more comfortable with the six-string than he is before the vocal mike. There are a couple of nice touches -- Andy White, the session man who played drums on the original session for "P.S. I Love You" instead of the newly recruited Ringo, re-created his drum part here and sounds as good now as he did in 1963, and the cover artwork from the great Jack Davis is excellent. But likeMeet the Smithereens!, B-Sides the Beatles will leave most listeners wondering why they aren't listening to an actual Beatles album instead, something the Smithereens may well be doing at this very moment. (Note to the budget-minded: the album runs a brief and historically accurate 28 minutes.)

Monday, May 25, 2009

Upon signing hard rock combo Fanny in 1970, Warner Bros. claimed their new acquisition was the first all-female rock & roll band — a statement far from the truth, of course, but as one of the first self-contained distaff groups to land on a major label, they were an important harbinger of things to come. Fanny formed in California under the name Wild Honey, teaming singer/guitarist June Millington, her bassist sister Jean, keyboardist Nickey Barclay, and drummer Alice de Buhr. With Wild Honey signing to Reprise, the new name Fanny was suggested to producer Richard Perry by no less than ex-Beatle George Harrison... Read More...

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1. Charity Ball

2. What Kind of Lover

3. Cat Fever

4. A Person Like You

5. Special Care

6. What's Wrong With Me

7. Soul Child

8. You're the One

9. Thinking of You

10. Place in the Country

11. A Little While Later

12. No Deposit, No Return (previously unreleased)

13. Charity Ball (reprise single 1963)

14. True Blue (from the kitchen tapes)

15. Candlelighter Man (from the kitchen tapes)

16. Summer Song (from the kitchen tapes)

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Reviewby Joe Viglione

With guitar and piano riffs buoyed by a pulsing bassline, the "Charity Ball" title track opens this second Reprise disc for the Millington sisters June and Jean, along with their bandmates, keyboard/vocalist Nickey Barclay and drummer Alice de Buhr. Produced by Richard Perry, who would hit later with the Pointer Sister's "I'm So Excited" and Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," Perry helped these pioneers put their artistry on vinyl when all girl musicians in a group were not the norm, and he, no doubt, got ideas here which resulted in hit recordings soon after. Perry had dated Ten Wheel Drive's Genya Ravan who had chart success in England with her all-girl band Goldie & the Gingerbreads, so he was one of the few guys privy to a wonderful conspiracy of women to break that glass ceiling of male rock & roll domination. Jean Millington, with an acoustic, reverb-soaked "What's Wrong With Me," is one flavor that this band of many talents has to offer. Just listen to Nickey Barclay's "A Little While Later" or June Millington's "Thinking of You," these songs are perfect in both construction and execution; in fact, the only deficiency is that Perry's production is not as lush and commercial as what he put on Ringo's "Photograph" — it's very bare, but that doesn't deny the wonderful hooks which conclude the album on "A Little While Later"'s fade where the gals absolutely rock out with passion. The album jacket is innovative as well, a proper invitation to you, the listener, from Fanny, placed atop hat and gloves, next to a stunning portrait of the group. There's only one cover on this 11 track collection, Stephen Stills' "Special Care," with keyboards that come straight from the Band's "Chest Fever." "What Kind of Lover" and "Cat Fever," two of Nickey Barclay's six contributions to the session, simply cry out for more frosting from producer Perry. Play this album next to a Jack Richardson production of the Guess Who from the same time period, and you'll feel the difference. What Perry presented is a stark and uncluttered performance by the band, which they could've done on a live album. Still, the songwriting and performance pass the test of time with flying colors. A really great document of true rock originals making a statement in the early '70s.

The Liverpool Five were a rock and roll quintet that was part of the British Invasion of the 1960s. The five members of the band came to the United States by way of Japan in 1965.

Formed in England in 1963 as the Steve Laine Combo, the group comprised Steve Laine (lead vocals), Ken Cox (guitar and vocals), Dave Burgess (bass and vocals), Ron Henley (keyboards, sax and vocals) and Jimmy May (drums and vocals). Despite the name, none of the group members were from Liverpool; All were Londoners except Burgess, who hailed from Cumbria.[1]

The group played in many major cities in Europe and Asia before achieving their greatest success in the United States, especially between 1965 and 1967. In Europe they recorded one album for CBS entitled Tokio International.Read more...

Graffiti released an obscure, self-titled LP on ABC in 1968 that was co-produced by Bob Thiele (more known for his work with many major jazz musicians), Eddie Kramer (most known for his engineering onJimi Hendrix records), and Jay Senter. Though accomplished in its musicianship and versatile in its stylistic focus, Graffiti lacked much in the way of enduring musical interest, blending some jazz, classical, pop, and blues influences into a generic, West Coast rock-influenced psychedelic sound that often employed high multi-part vocal harmonies.

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1. Father Protector

2. The Capture Of Me/Life Blood

3. Interlude /Jingle Jangle Woman

4. New Life/Girl On Fire/Cold Water/Love In Spite

5. Ugly Mascara

6. He's Got The Knack

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Graffiti's sole album was in some ways typical of numerous obscure psychedelic one-shots on fairly big labels in the late 1960s: over-ambitious lyrics, a kaleidoscope of styles that butted heads as often as it blended, emulation of several passing psychedelic trends pioneered by bigger groups, and an absence of really good songs. All that said, as such albums go, it's better than average, though hardly noteworthy. That's kind of faint praise, but at least Graffiti were less ponderous than many such bands, with a sort of gossamer lightness to much of their material. As for what kind of styles they mined, they're hard to pin down, though they're fairly influenced by West Coast psychedelia of the era, with some of the vocal harmonies so high that one can mistakenly think there was a woman in the group (there wasn't). Bits of jazz, classical guitar, blues-rock, psychedelic effects, and vocal harmonies both sunshine pop and Gregorian seep through from time to time as the band float through an ever-shifting melodies and styles. The songs and instrumental solos do tend to go on too long, however, and the songwriting isn't memorable.

Skip Bifferty are something of a lesson in musical survival, and doubly so, since most of its members had viable and even highly successful careers in music stretching more than a decade after the group's break-up. The group was an offshoot of the latter-day Chosen Few, a Newcastle band that had been working together since 1962. They'd lost their bassist and lead guitarist in 1965, and organist Mick Gallagher kept the group going, recruiting John Turnbull on guitar and Colin Gibson on bass. With the departure of Chosen Few lead singer Rod Hood, Graham Bell joined as lead vocalist, but the time had come to close down the Chosen Few. Gallagher, ... Read More...

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CD1

01. The Album - MONEY MAN.mp302. The Album - JEREMY CARABINE.mp303. The Album - WHEN SHE COMES TO STAY.mp304. The Album - GURU.mp305. The Album - COME AROUND.mp306. The Album - TIME TRACK.mp307. The Album - GAS BOARD UNDER DOG (Part 1).mp308. The Album - INSIDE THE SECRET.mp309. The Album - ORANGE LACE.mp310. The Album - PLANTING BAD SEEDS.mp311. The Album - YOURS FOR AT LEAST 24.mp312. The Album - FOLLOW THE PATH OF STARS.mp313. The Album - PRINCE OF GERMANY THE FIRST14. The Album - CLEARWAY 5115. Bonus Tracks - MAN IN BLACK16. Bonus Tracks - ON LOVE17. Bonus Tracks - COVER GIRL18. Bonus Tracks - HAPPY LAND19. Bonus Tracks - REASON TO LIVE20. Bonus Tracks - ROUND AND ROUND21. Alan Hull - Skipp Bifferty - THIS WE SHALL EXPLORE22. Alan Hull - Skipp Bifferty - SCHIZOID REVOLUTIONCD2

The Story of Skip Bifferty represents both the advantages and the limitations of the two-CD set — especially when the group in question has such a slim discography. On the one hand, the first disc, consisting primarily of material from the band's self-titled 1968 debut, bonus tracks, and previously unissued material, is a pure, unalloyed delight. Fans of the Creation, the Pretty Things, Village Green-era Kinks — even XTC's ingenious incarnation as the Dukes of Stratosphear — are sure to enjoy Skip's similarly catchy, power pop approach to psychedelia. On the other hand, the second disc, consisting primarily of BBC sessions, is a bit of a disappointment in comparison. The early live tracks are fine, but the harder-rocking material from singer Graham Bell's sojourns with Heavy Jelly and Griffin is a little lackluster. Further, the sound quality of some of the live songs, like an otherwise appealing cover of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," could be better and the DJ identifications for the radio tracks are all faded out. Why not just eliminate them altogether if they couldn't be edited with greater care? Then again, the first disc sounds great and the retrospective is nicely packaged, featuring original album and single cover art, publicity stills, comprehensive liner notes, and a eye-catching cardboard slipcase.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Mp3 192\48 Mb*************John Kay released this Lone Steppenwolf album in 1987. Actually it's one of the best works of this musician.01-Easy Evil02-Walkin' Blues03-Many A Mile04-Drift Away05-Sing With The Children06-My Sportin' Life07-You Win Again08-I'm Movin' On09-Nobody Lives Here Anymore10-Somebody*************LINK :

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Mp3\161Mb*****Biographyby Richie UnterbergerAlong with the Remains, the Rockin' Ramrods were Boston's premier rock band in the mid-'60s. Unlike the Remains, they didn't gain even a modicum of exposure beyond their city, and are far more obscure even to '60s collectors. They were a decent if not significant group, sounding kind of like a Beatlized frat band, and relying largely upon original material, much of it penned by bassist Ronn Campisi. Over the course of more than half a dozen singles between 1963 and 1966, they competently tackled garage grunge, wild instrumentals, and some very pleasant hard pop/rock originals with prominent keyboards, somewhat in the manner of an Americanized early Manfred Mann. "Bright Lit Blues Skies," their best song, was a hit in the Boston area, but they achieved no other success of note before disbanding.

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1.JUNGLE CALL 2. I WANNA BE YOUR MAN 3. I'LL BE ON MY WAY 4. DON'T FOOL WITH FU MANCHU5. TEARS MELT THE STONE 6. PLAY IT7. BRIGHT LIT BLUE SKIES8. MISTER WIND9. CAN’T YOU SEE 10. MARY, MARY11. FLOWERS IN MY MIND [Puff]12. VACUUM 13. TREES14. RAINY DAY 15. LOOKING IN MY WINDOW16. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE 17. OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP 18. I SURE NEED YOU 19. DEAD THOUGHTS OF ALBERT 20. WHEN I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING 21. GO WITH YOU 22. CHANGES [Ramrods '71] 23. MY VISION HAS CLEARED24. I DON’T WANT TO I WILL25. TROUBLES

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Reviewby Richie UnterbergerA strange compilation that spans several stages of the group's evolution. There are eleven songs (one previously unreleased) from their mid-'60s prime, presented in much better sound than on the Eva reissue, but six of the songs from the eight singles they recorded during this time are missing. Then there are eleven tracks (one previously unreleased) from the obscure 1968 MGM recording by Puff, a spinoff group that did not feature Ramrods leader/singer/songwriter Ronn Campisi, although, oddly, he wrote all of the material. The Puff cuts are light, sophisticated pop/rock with lots of harmonies and slight psychedelic touches; mildly interesting, it's much less hard-rocking than the other "Bosstown" groups MGM was giving a big push to in 1968. The CD finishes with three unreleased songs recorded by a 1971 incarnation of The Ramrods. A wealth of genuine Rockin' Ramrods unreleased material from their 1966-67 prime that has circulated among a few '60s/garage collectors was not tapped at all. Though less comprehensive, much harder to find, and of lower fidelity, the French import on Eva -- which includes both sides of every one of their eight early singles -- still gets the nod over this less cohesive batch.

One of the more successful New Zealand pop bands of the late 1960s, the Avengers were formed in Wellington in mid-1966. (Confusingly, another group with the same name -- a backing unit for singer Ray Woolf -- emerged in Auckland at much the same time.) The Avengers were formed at the behest of promoter Ken Cooper, who was seeking a house band for his nightclub the Place; he first approached guitarist Dave Brown, who in turn recruited guitarist Clive Cockburn, bassist Eddie McDonald and drummer Hank Davis. With their name decided as a result of a local newspaper contest, the quartet amassed a repertoire of some 75 Beatles songs in addition to covers of hits by Herman's Hermits and the Hollies; within a year, they were easily Wellington's most popular group, and in mid-1967 issued their debut single, the Top Ten hit "Everyone's Gonna Wonder." A series of smashes followed, including "Only Once in My Life," "1941," "Love Hate Revenge" and "Days of Pearly Spencer." However, the Avengers' success remained confined to New Zealand's shores, with all attempts to crack the lucrative Australian market proving futile; they disbanded in mid-1969, leaving a legacy which included the LP The Avengers Live at Ali Baba's (the first live album in the annals of Kiwi rock).

Friday, May 22, 2009

Mp3 256\ 60 Mb***********The 12 tracks (titled The Italian Job) comprise the entirety of the self-titled, Italian-only 1967 LP by the Doc Thomas Group, a band that (like the Silence) included Pete Watts and Dale Griffin.From the very tangled tree of about a dozen '60s bands that fed into the eventual formation of Mott the Hoople, the Doc Thomas Group were one of the most important, chiefly because they actually released an album. Future Hoople guitarist Mick Ralps and bassist Pete Watts were both on board when the group recorded their sole LP (released only in Italy, where they were based for a time) in late 1966. Future Mot drummer Dale Griffin (aka Buffin) joined the band in the spring of 1967, although he doesn't appear on the album, which featured Stan Tippins as lead singer. The self-titled LP consisted entirely of R&B/soul covers, executed derivatively and just about competently, in the style of mod bands of the period such as the Small Faces. The Doc Thomas Group struggled on until 1968, changing their name to Silence with the addition of organist Terry (soon to become Verden) Allen; from that point, it was only a matter of recruiting Ian Hunter to replace Tippins to create Mott the Hoople in 1969. The extremely rare Doc Thomas Group album was reissued on CD in 1998, on a disc that also included a Silence "reunion" session recorded in 1990. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide**************1. I'll Be Doggone2. She Was Really Saying Something3. Steal Your Heart Away4. My Babe5. Please Do Something6. Shake7. I Got You (I Feel Good)8. Harlem Shuffle9. Talking About My Baby10. Just Can't Go to Sleep11. Barefootin'12. Rescue MeIn the mid-60's a group of young hopefuls from Hereford were playing the "dues-paying" circuit in places like Hamburg (Germany) and in Italy where they were met with slightly more success. They went through various line-up changes and name changes, but in late 1966 the Doc Thomas Group (Stan Tippins, Mick Ralphs, Dave Tedstone, Pete Watts and Bob Hall) were booked in to a studio for a day to get their act down on tape. They recorded 20 tracks (all covers) and thought nothing more of it until early in 1967 a 12-track LP was issued (in Italy only). The album sold poorly, as did a single taken from it.Two years later, with a couple more line-up and name changes later, Silence (Stan Tippins, Mick Ralphs, Pete Watts, Terry Allen, Dale Griffin) auditioned for Guy Stevens at Island Records. Guy liked them and wanted to sign them, but insisted on one more line-up and name change: out went Stan Tippins, in came Ian Hunter, and Mott The Hoople was born...It is already another history.*************LINK :

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The Ugly's' history represents one of those hard-luck stories that is all too common in the history of British beat music — a talented band with good songs (including some originals) and a distinctive name, who, despite a long history and an array of future notables, somehow fails to get past local and regional success. For the Ugly's, that history and their attempts at success ran either nine years or 12 years, depending upon how one counts and where one starts, and its sheer longevity makes theirs an odd story, worth telling in detail. The Ugly's' history starts in Birmingham in 1957 — before there really was such a thing as British rock & roll, at least on the charts (unless one counts Tommy Steele) — with a band called the Dominettes, which included in their ranks ... Read More...

The Ugly's [sic] undeniably had an interesting history, if nothing else than for their connections to bigger and better bands. Lead singer Steve Gibbons later fronted the Steve Gibbons Band; bassist Dave Pegg, who was in one of the lineups, later became a mainstay of Fairport Convention; Dave Morgan, in one of the later lineups, wrote some material covered by the Move; one-time keyboardist Jimmy O'Neill joined a late version of the Mindbenders; and Gibbons and Morgan both later played with ex-Move bassist Trevor Burton and ex-Moody Blues frontman Denny Laine in Balls. From the angle of archival diligence, this 23-track compendium is exemplary, with all 12 of the tracks from their 1965-1969 singles; five songs recorded for the BBC; a half-dozen unreleased cuts, one of them an alternate version of "Mary Colinto"; and typically excellent liner notes from David Wells that serve as a thorough group history. All that applauded, even die-hard '60s British rock fans have to conclude that, for all the band's notable history and talent, their actual recordings just aren't all that good, and do not persuasively argue that the Ugly's should have been bigger than they were. While Gibbons has an interesting, brooding voice slightly similar to fellow Birmingham product Denny Laine, their songs weren't all that special and didn't carve out a consistent or captivating style. Perhaps the best of the lot was the 1965 single "It's Alright," which fit in well with the vibe of some of the socially observant songs the Kinks were starting to do around the same time, and is centered around an attractive harpsichord line. Its B-side, "A Friend," seems to be the most overlooked cut they ever did, sounding something like a bizarre Joe Meek production, but one with much more intelligent and sullen lyrics than the material Meek favored. Otherwise, however, their early songs just don't have all that much going for them aside from a tense pop sensibility. They also had an unfortunate bent for bad novelty songs that militate against repeated listening ("Ugly Blues," "A Good Idea," "And the Squire Blew His Horn"), and while "End of the Season" (released about a year before the Kinks put out their own version on Something Else) is a better song, it's vastly inferior to the Kinks' rendition. Their final single "I See the Light" isn't bad late-'60s rock, and as the liner notes aptly observe, some of the unreleased material filling out the CD bears a resemblance to their Birmingham cousins the Move. That material isn't nearly as good as the Move, however, and some of the BBC tracks are unremarkable covers of classics by Love, Mob Grape, and Eddie Cochran.

- Cheech -- keyboards- Johnny Caoloa (Angel) -- lead guitar- Hoot Gibson -- drums, percussion- Tino -- vocals, bassApparently formed in Michigan in the early 1960s, Tino and Revlons spent several years steadily working the east cost club circuit*** 1. TIMO and THE REVLONS - Luie Luie 3'42. TIMO and THE REVLONS - Wooly Booly 2'183. TIMO and THE REVLONS - This Could Be The Last Time 3'34. TIMO and THE REVLONS - Honky Tonk Angels 4'75. TIMO and THE REVLONS - Little G.T.O. 2'366. TIMO and THE REVLONS - House Of The Rising Sun 3'247. TIMO and THE REVLONS - Ask Me 2'318. TIMO and THE REVLONS - Because 2'329. TIMO and THE REVLONS - Rumble 2'1110. TIMO and THE REVLONS - I Can't Get No Satisfaction 3'4711. TIMO and THE REVLONS - One Time-Break Time 2'8****The NovasThis one-of-a-kind CD collects all of the mid '60s recorded tracks by Dallas' The Novas, who scored a regional hit in 1965 with their classic folk/psychedelic rock single "William Junior" b/w "And It's Time". Other tracks include "Coronado's Puzzles", "Taxman", "One Too Many Mornings", "Bus Stop", and many more (fourteen in all). A Texas garage rock classic!****12. THE NOVAS - William Junior 2'3013. THE NOVAS - Help! 2'1714. THE NOVAS - One Too Many Mornings 2'5015. THE NOVAS - I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better 2'2116. THE NOVAS - Mr. Weatherman 3'2517. THE NOVAS - Corando's Puzzles 2'1418. THE NOVAS - Shake! 2'5119. THE NOVAS - And It's Time 2'2620. THE NOVAS - Bus Stop 2'4721. THE NOVAS - Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying 2'3222. THE NOVAS - Let Me Take You To The Rainbow 3'1023. THE NOVAS - Taxman 2'3824. THE NOVAS - I'm A Man 2'36 *****LINK

Biographyby Richie UnterbergerIn the late '60s, the Deviants were something like the British equivalent to the Fugs, with touches of the Mothers of Invention and the British R&B-based rock of the Yardbirds and the Pretty Things. Their roots were not so much in the British Invasion as the psychedelic underground that began to take shape in London in 1966-1967. Not much more than amateurs when they began playing, they squeezed every last ounce of skill and imagination out of their limited instrumental and compositional resources on their debut, Ptooff!, which combined savage social commentary, overheated sexual lust, psychedelic jamming, blues riffs, and pretty acoustic ballads — all in the space of seven songs. Their subsequent '60s albums had plenty of outrage, but not nearly as strong material as the debut. Lead singer Mick Farren recorded a solo album near the end of the decade, and went on to become a respected rock critic. He intermittently performed and recorded as a solo artist and with re-formed versions of the Deviants.

Talk today about Britain's psychedelic psyxties, and it's the light whimsy of Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, the gentle introspection of the village green Kinks, Sgt. Pepper, and "My White Bicycle" which hog the headlines. People have forgotten there was an underbelly as well, a seething mass of discontent and rancor which would eventually produce the likes of Hawkwind, the Pink Fairies, and the Edgar Broughton Band. It was a damned sight more heartfelt, too, but the more some fete the lite-psych practitioners of the modern age, the further their reality will recede. Fronted by journalist/author/wild child Mick Farren, the Deviants spawned that reality. Over the years, three ex-members would become Pink Fairies; for subsequent reunions, sundry ex-Fairies would become honorary Deviants. And though only Russell Hunter is present on Ptooff!, still you can hear the groundwork being laid. The Pink Fairies might well have been the most perfect British band of the early '70s, and the Deviants were their dysfunctional parents. In truth, Ptooff! sounds nowhere near as frightening today as it was the first (or even 21st) time out; too many reissues, most of them now as scarce as the original independently released disc, have dulled its effect, and besides, the group's own subsequent albums make this one look like a puppy dog. But the deranged psilocybic rewrite of "Gloria" which opens the album, "I'm Coming Home," still sets a frightening scene, a world in which Top 40 pop itself is horribly skewed, and the sound of the Deviants grinding out their misshapen R&B classics is the last sound you will hear. Move on to "Garbage," and though the Deviants' debt to both period Zappa and Fugs is unmistakable, still there's a purity to the paranoia. Ptoof! was conceived at a time when there genuinely was a generation gap, and hippies were a legitimate target for any right-wing bully boy with a policeman's hat and a truncheon. IT and Oz, the two underground magazines which did most to support the Deviants (Farren wrote for both), were both publicly busted during the band's lifespan, and that fear permeates this disc; fear, and vicious defiance. It would be two years, and two more albums, before the Deviants finally published their manifesto in all its lusty glory — "we are the people who pervert your children" — during their eponymous third album's "People Suite." But already, the intention was there.

Biographyby Richie UnterbergerOf all the British R&B bands to follow the Rolling Stones' footsteps, the Downliners Sect were arguably the rawest. The Sect didn't as much interpret the sound of Chess Records as attack it, with a finesse that made the Pretty Things seem positively suave in comparison. Long on crude energy and hoarse vocals, but short on originality and songwriting talent, the band never had a British hit, although they had some sizable singles in other European countries. Despite their lack of commercial success or appeal, the band managed to record three albums and various EPs and singles between 1963 and 1966, with detours into country-rock and an EP of death-rock tunes. Although they recorded afterwards, it is the Sect's early work that continues to attract connoisseurs of '60s garage and punk******

In 1999, See for Miles released The Sect/The Rock Sect's In, which contained two complete albums — The Sect (1964, originally released on Columbia) and The Rock Sect's In (1966, originally released on Columbia) — by the Downliners Sect on one compact disc.